Territory



(No Model.)

M. SPORLBDER.

WATCH REGULATOR. 7 Patented Oct 2M 1896.

l 1 7 Y M UNITED STATES PATENT EErCE.

MICHAEL SPORLEDER, OF LEXINGTON, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

WATCH-REG U LATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,844, dated October20, 1896. Application filed May 31, 1895. Serial 1l'o- 551,080. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL SPORLEDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lexin gton, in the county of Cleveland and Territory ofOklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVVatch-Regulators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in watch-regulators of that classin which there are attached to the index a curb pin or pins adapted tobear at different points on the balance-spring to lessen or increase thevibrations thereof, according as it is desired to retard or quicken themovement of the works.

IIeretofore in regulators of this description there was always a certainamount of play of the spring against the curb-pins which caused a wearing of the parts, a rattling, and, in cases, a piling or bunching of thecoils of the spring on each other.

The objects of my invention are to provide the regulator with a meansfor positively clamping the spring wherever set. The balance-spring willthen perform with the same regularity as though no curb-pins were usedat all,and thus prevent any friction or wearin g of the parts 5 and toso construct and arrange the regulator and the spring-clamping meansthat the clamp or grip must be loosened or opened before the regulatorcan be adjusted; to avoid the before-mentioned piling of thespring-coils, and to prevent the rattling of the spring and associatedparts.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the parts andcombination thereof to be hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed.

That my invention may be the more clearly understood I have shown in theaccompanying drawings practical embodiments thereof, without intendingto limit my improvements in their useful applications to the preciseconstructions delineated.

In the said drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of awatch-balance having my improved regulator applied thereto. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of a modified form of regulator. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe regulator index and adjuster, showing the shield removed. Fig. 4 isa plan View showing the shield in place over the index. Fig. 5 is aplan, and Fig. 5 a sectional View, of a modified form of shield andindex. Figs. 6 to 17, inclusive, show slightly-different forms of clamps-for the springs; and Fig. 18 is a plan view of a portion of the indexshown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the pillar-plate; B, the balancebridge or cock; O, the balancestaff, journaled in suitable bearings inthe plate A and bridge and carrying the balance C', and D is the balanceor hair spring, all of which are of well-known construction and need notbe further described.

On the bridge and surrounding the bearing for the balance-staff is anundercut annular llange ZJ.

Referring particularly to Fig. l, which shows my improvements applied toa form of regulatorvgenerally in use, 1 designates the index, which isshown as snapped or sprung on the flange b, which latter serves as itspivot. This index carries a curb pin or pins 2, adapted to engage a coilx of the balancespring, and for its full length, except contiguous tothe pins 2, the index is only about half the thickness of the ordinaryregulatorindex.

At the end carrying the pins the index is forked or bifurcated, asclearly shown in Fig. 3. Between the limbs of this bifurcated portion ispivoted at i a bell-crank lever 3, having a depending gripping-jaw 5,which, when the lever is rocked on its pivot by means to be hereinafterdescribed, engages the coil m of the spring and presses the latteragainst the stud or pin 2 and there firmly holds it.

I do not intend to limit myself to any particular form of grip, as manychanges and modifications could be made in this part of my improvementwithout departing from the scope of my invention.' For instance, any oneof the several forms indicated in Figs. (3 to 17 of the drawings couldbe employed. In this Fig. 1, however, in which I have shown aform of'clamp which gives very satisfactory results, the stud 2 is secured inany suit* able manner to the under side of the index l and has at itslower end three lugs or projections 6, (see Fig. 8,) arranged in asubstan- IOO tially triangular form. The coil as passes between theseprojections 6 and is adapted to be clamped against one by the jaw 5,which is guided and held from lateral movement by the other twoprojections.

Situated above the index and adapted to be also snapped on the flange l)is a shield or thin plate 7, which hides the index an d grad uated scaleshown at s, so that it is impossible to regulate the watch until theshield is first removed ont of the way. The shield 7 has a pivotalengagement with the iiange l), its free end being guided by any suitablemeans, such as a rabbeted flange S, concentric with the flange l),rigidly secured to the bridge B.

l) (see Figs. l and t) is an inclined or camshaped projection carried bythe shield 7 and adapted to engage in a notch in the horizontal arm ofthe lever 8 and raise or lower said arm as the shield is moved in one orthe other direction. It will thus be seen that by moving the shield theclamping-jaw 5 can be made to engage or release the spring D. A suitablehandle may be placed on the shield for operatin g it. ln order toprevent any movement or rattling of the shield, I employ a spring l0,Fig. Ll, which is secured to the shield and, passing through a slot 1ltherein, engages the bridge-plate B.

ln Fig. 2, wherein is shown a 'form of my invention applicable to`full-plate watches, l" indicates the pointer or index, pivoted on theflange b, as in Fig. l, and provided with a stud or pin 2, dependingtherefrom and adapted to engage the spring-coil fr. The index is slottedat l2, Fig. 1S, and in this slot is pivoted a bell-crank lever 3,carrying a gripping jawor arm 5. The other arm (5 of this lever extendsbeyond said slot l2 and enters a slot 13, concentric with thebearingi'lange l) in a plate or shield 7, hinged on the plate A or othersuitable part of the watch, which shield hides, as in the former ease,the end of the pointer and the usual graduated scale. le isa spring-clipsecured to the plate A and adapted to hold the plate 7 rmly in itsclosed position. The plate 7, when it is raised or lowered on its pivot,correspondingly raises or lowers the arm G of the bellcrank lever,thereby causing its gripping-jaw to release or engage the spring D.

I have shown in Figs. 5 and 5 a different form of index and shield,which can be applied to the construction illustrated in Fig. l. In thisform the index carries a pivoted lever lb, adapted to enter a slot in ahinged plate similar to that shown in Fig. 2. Pivoted centrally to a lugl5 on the hub or bearing oi the regulator is a lever lli, one end ofwhich is engaged by the lever lb and the other end of which engages andis adapted to operate the horizontal arm of the hair-spring-clampinglever. The lever 16 is preferably formed of spring metal, and is soshaped that the end engaged by the lever l bears against the hub of theindex and causes normally a pressure at its other end on thehair-spring-clamping lever in a direction to cause the latter to releasethe spring. In this embodiment, as also that shown in Fig. 2, it isnecessary to lift the hinged plate, thereby opening the clamp andreleasing the spring before the regulator can be operated.

At 1S, Fig. 3, I have shown another device for holding the shield andregulator steady to prevent rattling and to keep it closed. lt comprisesa spring 18, secured on a lug 19 on the shield 7 and engaging a notch2t) in the regulator. This notch is of a shape to permit the movement ofthe shield and spring 18 in one direction and to 'form a stop to limitits movement in the other direction.

S indicates a substantially U shaped spring, one end of which is rigidlysecured to the bridge B and the other free end of which engages andpresses the index against a setscrew working in the stationary end ofthe spring. This spring and set-screw form an adjuster for theregulator, the use of which is desirable in connection with myregulator, as it is necessary that the latter should be held from anymovement while the shield is being removed. The form of adjuster,however, is not essential, and any style may be employed.

21 indicates a cap or annulus, which may be secured in any suitablemanner on the flange Z), and operates to hold the parts thereon.

- Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new, anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. ln a watch, the combination with the regulator-index, the graduatedscale therefor and the hair-sprin g, means forpositivcly holding saidspring, and a shield adapted to hide the scale and a portion of theindex adjacent thereto, and adapted to prevent the movement ot' theindex While the spring is held by said holding means.

2. ln a watch, the combination with the regulator-index, the scaletherefor, and the hair-spring, of a clamp for the spring carried by saidregulator, a shield adapted to hide the scale, and means adapted on themovement ot' the shield to operate said clamp.

ln a watch, the combination with the regulator and a clamp for graspingthe balance-spring in dili'erent adjustments of the regulator, of ashield for the regulator, and a cam carried by the shield and engagingthe clamp and adapted to operate the same.

4. ln a watch, the combination of a regulator-index, a hair-spring, arigid projection on the index adjacent to said spring, a lever pivotedon said index adapted to form with said projection a positive clamp forthe spring, a shield for said index, and means ior operating said leverupon the movement of said shield.

5. ln a watch the combination with the balance-bridge, ol the regulatorpivoted thereon, a clamp carried by the regulator, and a shield IOO IIC!

IIS

for the regulator pivoted on the bridge above the regulator engaging andadapted to operate said clamp.

6. In a Watch, the combination with the bridge having the bearing b, ofthe regulator pivoted thereon having the bifureated end, theclamping-lever pivoted in said bifurcation and having one arm engagingthe balance-spring and the other arm having in its end a notch, theshield pivoted on the bridge, and the cam on said shield engaging thenotch in said lever-arm, substantially as described.

7. In a Watch, the combination with the regulator, of the lever pivotedthereon, the clamp operated by said lever, the shield having therein aslot concentricI With the regu-

